Modern motor vehicles and motor vehicle concepts are aimed at a reduction of the motor vehicle weight as well as at a reduction of exhaust gases and of the fuel consumption. It thereby seems to be increasingly attractive for compact vehicles to provide for drive units, which encompass an internal combustion engine, which is coupled to a turbo charger. As compared to a common internal combustion engine, it is hereby possible to reduce capacity and weight as well as the installation space required for the internal combustion engine.
An internal combustion engine, which is dimensioned in a correspondingly small manner, could further still satisfy the demanded performance expectations by coupling it to a turbo charger. To attain a vehicle length, which is as small as possible, it is furthermore desirable for compact vehicles to embody the vehicle overhang located in front of a front axle to be as short as possible. In particular, it already proves to be difficult in the case of such compact vehicles to accommodate a cooling arrangement in the engine compartment. Typically, the individual heat exchangers of a radiator arrangement, such as water radiator and the compressor of an air conditioning unit for example, are embodied as a structural unit, wherein individual heat exchangers are arranged behind one another in the engine compartment, viewed in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and are provided with a fan, which is located downstream from or upstream of said structural unit.
In the case of known compact vehicles, such conventional radiator arrangements are always arranged upstream of the drive unit of the vehicle. The construction depth of the individual heat exchangers as well as of the fan thus inevitably contributes to the vehicle overhang, which projects forward. In the event that the internal combustion engine is additionally coupled to a turbo charger, this turbo charger must preferably be arranged upstream of the internal combustion engine in driving direction of the vehicle, in particular in the case of compact vehicles. A further increasing vehicle overhang would be the result.
A radiator arrangement for a motor vehicle is known, for example, from DE 10 2004 005 592 B4, wherein the radiator extends at least partially in a space above the engine and below the engine hood. Such a radiator arrangement, however, is associated with an increase of the overall height of the engine compartment.
Contrary to this, it is at least one object to provide for a forward structure as well as for a radiator arrangement of a motor vehicle, which maximally utilizes the available installation space in the engine area, in particular in the case of compact motor vehicles. The forward structure and the radiator arrangement, which is to be accommodated therein, are thereby provided for the smallest possible vehicle front overhang. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.